Steam radiator trap



July 26, 1932. c w s 1368 510 STEAM RADIATOR TRAP Filed July 25, 1928 a y w CHA S. R. t'I/,9773

' Patented July 26, 1932 'UNI E STATES PATENT oFFicE GHARLES E. WATTS, OF BEBJKELEY, CALIFORNIA; ASSIGNOR Ol" ONE-THIRD TO EDWARD L. WATTS AND QNE-THIRD TO CHARLES B; WATTS, JR., BOTH OF BERKELEY, CALI- FORNIA 'STEAM RADIATR TBA? Application filed Jul 25,

The inventionrelates to a device tor efiecting an automatic trapping and discharge of air and coidensate from a steam radiator without permittng an escape of uncondensed steam therefrom; e i

An object of the inyention is toeprovide a trap having a thermostatic element control ling the discharge of condensate flowing from V, the radiat or into the trap, in which the trans- '11, ter of heat energy in the form ofsteam from aradiator to the element for the purpose of actuating said element is governed directly bythe flow of condensate fron'the radiator i rather than by the temperature ot the steam ia in the'radiator.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a trap of the'class described in which the ports of the ValVe controlling the escape of the condensate from the trap will practio cally invariably be below the surface ot the waterfiowing through the trap, thus preventing live steam from escaping from the radiator through the ;trap and also establishing a direct relationbetween theopening to the i 25 ports and the flow of the condensate therethrough; v

A further object of the invention isto pro amount of condensate to' be supplied from the radiator, thus e lecting a quick change in the temperature of the thermostatic element when necessary and a quick complete scaling of the trap from the radiator when the temperature of the stcam in the latter is' eXcessive-preventing the thermostatic element from injury by the hot steam. v r A still 'further object of the invention' is to provide a trap, of the class described which can be used with'radiators of different radiating capacities consequently having different r'elati on between the temperature of 'the steam and the amount condensate by Operating' to dispose ot the con'densate at the pendentlyof the temperature ofsteam.

rate of formation of the latt'er and"inde-' 1928' Serial No. 295327.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set torth in the following description of the preterred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, how` ever, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set torth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing, e i

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of the trap embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan sectional View of the trap taken on theline 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a reduced View showing the trap operatively associated with a steam radiator. e r

Generally and asshown, the trap 1 of my invention comprises a body member 2 denng a chamber 3 and having, an inlet 4 and an outlet 5 which communicate with the chamber and eXtend through branches 6 and 7 respectively of the body. Connection between the trap and a radiator 8 with which the former is associated is by means of a return outlet pipe9 ofthe radiator which is connected to the branch 6 by a coupling 11.-V The lower portion of the outlet branch 6 is threaded to receive an eXhaust pipe 12 in which a certain degree of vacuum is preferably maintained, while the upper portion of the outletforms a bore 13. Mounted for reciprocation in the bore and arranged for controlling the outlet 5 is a Valve 14 having ports 15 and 16 formed therein and providing communication between the chamber 3 and the outlet 5. The port 16 leading to the exhaust pipe is generally Vertical and in its upper extremity convergent with the ports 15 which are radially disposed and designed to open into the chamber. Closing of the ports 15 is effected by engagement thereof with the walls of the bore 13 as when the Valve is lowered, scaling grooves 20 being formed in the ValVe above the ports so as to prevent' any leakage of water or steam when the Valve is in closed position. Movement of the ValVe is arranged to be efiected upon Vamove the valve downwarly until the ports riation in temperature of the chamber, and

' for this purpose the Valve is fixedly asso- 'ciated with a thermostatic element 17 which t is adjust'ably securedto a Gap 18 of the body 2 and is caused to expandiand contract axally of the Va-lVeupon said temperature Variation. v v

As will be noted; by reference to Figure I,

i the portion 19 of theinlet tadjacent the return/outlet '8 has 'its exis generally .horizontah while the portion adacent the chamber curves downwardly so that the top or upper surface 21 of the orifice'of the inletto'the' chamber Will be slightly below thelevel of the bottom 22 of the portion 19: Further more, the bottom 22 is so positioned that it will be slightly 'above the level' of the top 'surface 'of the ports 15 when thevalve is in it s highest position. i nlthis manner, .under Operating conditions the p'orts 'will be corn- L pletely covered by water when condensate 'is flowing from the radiator. I

' 'With thefrad'ator cold, the' valve 14 will be (ilisposecl in its upper pofsit'iom as'indicated in Figure '1, 'thereby'l-eaving the ports ully open. However when steam is introduce&

r into the racliator as by opening-the' inlet Valve 23 thereof; practically complete conclensation 'of the steam will ifollowfand the s conolensate` thus forme& will, 'together' with the 'air,' ischarge into the trap' and escape therefrom through the ports'. After the Walls ofthe ra-d-iatorhave been-become heate, unontensed 'st'eam will reach the trap-causing the thermostatic element ?to eXp'and andto 15 'andone of the grooves'fl are closed by thejwalls of the'bone r With 'the 'trap outle't thirst `-sealecl the Water of `condensation trappel in the chamberquickly 'r sesj and reachesthe surface l so 'as :to seal'the trap ro 'the radiatoi'. The ohamber now being completely Sealcd, the" 's'team imprisoned therein begins to condensglosing its heat by na cliation from the walls ofxthe; 'trap' bodiy 'and 'causing the thermostatic element to contra-et and to' move the valveupwarlly,

andfthe vah e when fully opened are large 'enough to permitthe discharge of at least the "maximum amount of 'conclensate that may "formecl "in the radiator during the 'normal operation thereof, and since the I 'po'rts are completely snhmergemthe amount i coniensate" clischarging therethrough wilLnVarably be propor'tional tothe orton' ofth ejportswhich is expo'sed. It will v v therefore be'unlerstood that if'the ports how become opened to such an.extent asto per the escape of more. condensate than fis being supplied 'froni the radiator the level of the water will fall therebydefining between the water surface an& the surface 21 a narrow. passage *through whichsteani will immediately -enter' the chamber, thereby caus ing a downward movement of the valve and a partial closing of the ports. ;If in the downward travel the Valve closes the ports to such an extent asnot to allow allof the conolensate being formed in the radiator to *escape through said ports, the condensate causing the thermostatic element to contract and to open the ports., r

It is clear from the above that for any amount of conclensate liowing fromthe radiator an; equlibrium will be reached .in

which just sufficient steam will be admitted into the chamber to s'upply" the losses by radiation from' the walls of the trap thus Inaintaining the chamber at a .constant tem'- pe'rature and causing" the valveto assume a position with 'the `ports open just sufliciently for prmitting all of the conclensate'to escape therethrough' a v y Itfwillbe' seen that in the operation of my clevice', because of 'the fact that the ports are arrangedjto be completely submerged in the plied from .the radiator, operates to change the level of the water in the chamber'thereby changing the amount of` steam aclmi tted into the chamber and causing the Valve'to 'resume its original and correct position. H for 'eX- ample, the teinperature of the steam in the a radi'ator rises, while the amount of condensate is being supplied at the same rate, the

'ports will part'ially close, and the water level Will rise until just suificient .steam is admitted ne into the chamber to cause the Valve to resume its original position. At this new and higher level the water in the chamjber will remain due to the fact that t now escapes at'the rate at which it is being supplied. V This tea ture of the trap obViates the necessty of an extremely fine adjustment of` the position of the valve or of the rate of expansion" of the thermostatic element. 'It also follows that traps of the same size and without any readjustment may be used on'radiators of different racliating capacities and therefore of difierent relations between 'the temperature 'of the steam and the' amount of conolensate, the limit being set by the ancuntof water Iclaim: I v 1. In a trap for condensate of aisteam radat or, abody haynga chamber provided with a steam and condensate inlet thereto from the radiator anda substantially vertioally disposed outlet for eondensate, the

plane of the bottom of the inlet at one portion thereof being lower than the plane of the bottom at a difierent porton, a valve movable in and controlling said outlet provided with ports eommunicatng with said chamber and arranged to be continuously ,open into the ehamber and in the uppermost position of the valve to lie below said higher bottom of the inlet, so as to be completely Submerged in the condensate, and a thermostatic element dispose'd in,-ai1d aotuated by the temperature of, said chamber connected to said valve arranged upon the introduction of steam into the chamber to move said Valve downwardly to eiiect a closure of said ports and. to move said valve upwardly to of the amount of condensate flowing from the radiator and be changed by any difference i between theflow of the condensate into and the flow thereof from the trap, the upper portion of said orifice being located in a plane below said highest point of the bottom of the inlet whereby the amount of steam admitted through said inlet may be controlled during the flow of a minimum amount of condensate through said inlet, such chamber communieating with a condensate outlet, a valve movable in said outlet and hav-` ing portscommunicating with said chamber arranged to be continuously open into the chamber and in all positions of the valve to be submerged in the condensate in the chamber during the flow of condensate thereto, and a thermostatic element fixed to said body and to the valve arranged to depress the Valve and effeet a closure of the ports thereofupon admission of steam to the chamber p and to elevate the va-lve upon a decrease in temperature in the ohamber whereby said ports will be uncovered and condensate allowed to escape into the outlet.

3. In a trap for condensate of a steam radiator, a. body having a ohamber provided with a steam' and condensate inlet and having an outlet orifice at the lower extremity of said chamber, said orifice being disposed a at a lower elevation than the highest ,point of the bottom of the inlet, and said inlet having a portion thereof intermediate said point and chamber disposed at a lower elevation than said orifice.

4:. In a trap for condensate of a steam raidiator, a body having a chamber provided with a steam and condensate inlet and having an outlet orifice at the lower extremity of said chamber, said orfice being disposed at a lower elevation than the highest point of the bottom of the inlet, and said inlet having a portion thereof intermediate said point and charnber disposed at a lower elevation than said orifice, said last named portion extending into said ohamber and arranged to surround said orifice.

In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at akland, California, this 18th day of July, 1928.

CHARLES R. WATTS. 

